Will The Facts Be Worse Than The Fears?

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 10.31.07 1545 EDT: The
truth will come out after all. In his prepared remarks before a
Congressional hearing, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced
the agency will release the results of a controversial airline
safety study after all.

British Airways To Launch New US-Europe Direct Carrier

Open skies... but a closed ramp? Plans in the works by British
Airways to spinoff a new airline between Europe and New York may be
jeopardy, due to the Federal Aviation Administration's desire to
curb traffic at congested John F. Kennedy International
Airport.

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THAAD Intercepts, Destroys Target Over Pacific

Chalk up another hit for Lockheed Martin's Terminal High
Altitude Area Defense missile system. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
reports THAAD successfully intercepted and destroyed a target
missile over the Pacific Ocean last week.

Over 300 Students, Parents Attend 2nd Annual Gathering At
FDK

More than 300 students, faculty, parents, and guests from
schools in Maryland, neighboring states, and the District of
Columbia attended the 2nd annual Aviation Education Expo at the
Frederick Municipal Airport in Frederick, MD on October 16.

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Denies Motion To Dismiss

A somewhat unusual case involving copyright infringement,
brought on by American Airlines against internet mega-search
provider Google, will be allowed to continue, after a federal court
judge denied a motion to dismiss the case last week.

Will Provide Crews With Sim-Based Training

Boeing recently opened its first F-15E Mission Training Center
(MTC) for the US Air Force's 366th Fighter Wing at Idaho's Mountain
Home Air Force Base. The center will provide aircrews with
high-fidelity, simulator-based training without the material and
personnel costs associated with training on operational
aircraft.

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Says Report Validates Safety Concerns During NWA Mechanics
Strike

The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO,
the union that represents more than 11,000 Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) employees including aviation safety
inspectors, are applauding a recent Department of Transportation
(DOT) Inspector General (IG) report, "Actions Taken to Address
Allegations of Unsafe Maintenance Practices at Northwest Airlines
(Report Number AV-2007-080)."

Science Advocacy Group Says NASA Should Release Results

Faced with considerable evidence NASA is withholding the results
of a nationwide survey of pilots on airline safety problems --
fearing the findings would undermine public confidence and hurt
airline profits -- the House Science and Technology Committee will
hold a hearing Wednesday to try to determine why the agency has
been sitting on the survey results for more than a year.

But Rising Fuel Costs, Fewer Seats Mean Low Prices Won't
Last

Be prepared for a bursting bubble. Even as fuel prices continued
to climb, the cost of purchasing a domestic airline ticket actually
fell in the second quarter, according to figures released Tuesday
by the US Department of Transportation.

But Asserts Union Will Fight Tough For New Contract

In a recent interview with the Dallas Morning News, new Allied
Pilots Association president Lloyd Hill said he fully intends to
battle management at American Airlines for a more favorable
contract for its pilots... though he also stepped back
ever-so-slightly from the fiery rhetoric expressed in his September
letter to American CEO Gerard Arpey.

Fourth Excursion Planned For Thursday

NASA tells ANN astronauts and ground controllers are looking at
apparent damage to the P6 4B solar array spotted by the crew during
deployment. NASA halted the deployment of the solar array wing to
evaluate the damage. Deployment is about 75 percent complete with
25 of 31 bays deployed.

Say Boeing's 767-Based Aircraft Is Less Capable Than
Northrop/EADS Offering

Below is a joint letter -- written by Alabama Senators Richard
Shelby and Jeff Sessions, and Alabama Representative Jo Bonner --
that representatives of Northrop Grumman and EADS say "addresses
key issues concerning the upcoming US Air Force acquisition of new
tanker aircraft to replace its aging aerial refueling fleet."

Didn't Expect Plane To Still Be Overhead

Here's a friendly tip for those hoping to evade police... be
sure to look up first. Seattle's KIRO-7 reports the owner of a
Ferrari F430 failed to consider the Washington State Patrol
airplane overhead, when he attempted to pull a fast one.

Aero-Terms!

A warning device incorporated in certain airborne navigation and
flight instruments indicating that instruments are inoperative or
otherwise not operating satisfactorily. Also indicates signal
strength or quality of a received signal has fallen below a level
that can be relied upon.

"PASS is encouraged that the IG report addresses the critical
need for the FAA to implement better internal review procedures to
deal with inspector safety concerns."

Source: Tom Brantly, president of the
Professional Airways Systems Specialists union. PASS applauds a
recent Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General (IG)
report, that the union says validates safety issues uncovered by an
FAA inspector represented by PASS during the August 2005 aircraft
mechanics strike at Northwest Airlines.